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Gundam in the US

Old 10-11-14, 02:52 PM
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Gundam in the US

Right Stuf is bringing Gundam back to the US! Exciting times!

w ww.rightstuf.com/rssite/main/news/individual/?ForumThreadName=FT0000007457

w ww.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-10-11/sunrise-partners-with-right-stuf-to-release-gundam-franchise-stateside/.79830
Old 10-12-14, 01:21 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

What's officially confirmed so far...
  • Mobile Suit Gundam (0079 TV series & movie trilogy)
  • Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ
  • Turn A Gundam
TFP Resourceshttps://www.facebook.com/GundamUnico...72117942800323
Thank you very much for you who came to our panel at NYCC.
We announced several new things there.

Sunrise releases Gundam Series home video through Right stuf from spring 2015.
The first release is "Mobile Suit Gundam" and "Turn A Gundam".
http://www.rightstuf.com/rssite/main...e=FT0000007457
Right Stuf and Sunrise expand Mobile Suit Gundam distribution deal!
Posted on: Saturday, October 11, 2014

Right Stuf, Inc. is excited to announce a new expanded distribution deal with Sunrise Inc. to release the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise in North America.

The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise is a space opera anime that redefined the mecha genre. The original Mobile Suit Gundam series focused on using giant combat robots as a tool to win a war. This plot line structure strongly influenced future mecha series in the anime industry. In this newly expanded agreement, Right Stuf will continue to be the distribution arm for Sunrise as they work to re-release out-of-print Mobile Suit Gundam classic programming, along with the first-ever North American releases of Turn A Gundam, Gundam ZZ and more!

2014 marks the 35th anniversary of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime release in Japan. The original anime series was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino and aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network from April 1979 – January 1980. It later inspired numerous manga, movies, videogames and anime spinoffs. To date, the Gundam franchise encompasses over 25 different series.
via PR...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Sunrise Inc. and Right Stuf, Inc. Expand Distribution Deal for Mobile Suit Gundam Franchise

GRIMES, Iowa, October 11, 2014 – Anime producer and distributor Right Stuf, Inc. is excited to announce a new expanded distribution deal with Sunrise Inc. to release the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise in North America. About Mobile Suit Gundam The Mobile Suit Gundam franchise is a space opera anime that redefined the mecha genre. The original Mobile Suit Gundam series focused on using giant combat robots as a tool to win a war. This plot line structure strongly influenced future mecha series in the anime industry. 2014 marks the 35th anniversary of the original Mobile Suit Gundam anime release in Japan. The original anime series was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino and aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network from April 1979 – January 1980. It later inspired numerous manga, movies, videogames and anime spin-offs. To date, theGundam franchise encompasses over 25 different series. In this newly expanded agreement, Right Stuf will continue to be the distribution arm for Sunrise as they work to re-release out-of-print Mobile Suit Gundam classic programming, along with the first-ever North American releases of Turn A Gundam, Gundam ZZ and more! Right Stuf's President and CEO Shawne Kleckner said, “We are proud to have been chosen by Sunrise to represent this seminal anime franchise. Bringing this series back to American audiences is a great honor.” “The Gundam franchise is often revered as a true classic that helped to redefine our perception of what a mecha anime can do.” – Anime News Network More information can be found at www.sunrise-inc.co.jp/international.

About Right Stuf, Inc.
Founded in 1987, Right Stuf, Inc. is amongst North America's largest publishers, distributors and retailers in the anime and manga marketplace. One of the industry's original pioneers, Right Stuf operates a multinational mail-order catalog and one of the trade's most recognized Internet storefronts, rightstuf.com. Right Stuf also works in a variety of media vehicles that include video streaming, podcasts and special publications. Included under the Right Stuf corporate umbrella is print publisher, Right Stuf On-Demand, and video production labels Nozomi Entertainment, Lucky Penny Entertainment and 5 Points Pictures.

ABOUT Sunrise, Inc.
Sunrise Inc., a Namco Bandai Group Company, is an animation production studio which produces smash hit anime series like the original Mobile Suit Gundam, and all of the subsequent series in the Gundam franchise, as well as Cowboy Bebop, Escaflowne, Code Geass, TIGER & BUNNY and many more. The company is located in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan and was established in 1972. The President and CEO is Mr. Yasuo Miyakawa.
Old 10-12-14, 07:37 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Will the original Gundam (1979) series be released in Japanese with English subs? Now that will be a big deal.
Old 10-12-14, 09:23 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
Will the original Gundam (1979) series be released in Japanese with English subs? Now that will be a big deal.
I don't see why they won't. Bandai Ent did do that before (in 2 sets). I don't expect them to include episode 15 (it wasn't included before per Tomino's request).
Old 10-12-14, 09:29 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Originally Posted by WTK
I don't see why they won't. Bandai Ent did do that before (in 2 sets). I don't expect them to include episode 15 (it wasn't included before per Tomino's request).
Oh. I missed the earlier set with subs. I just have the English-only DVDs that I got in 2005 and didn't realize there was a later edition. Ep #15 seems to be in that set, at least according to my notes. Unless they renumbered #16 as #15 and changed all the others up a number to match.
Old 10-12-14, 09:46 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
Oh. I missed the earlier set with subs. I just have the English-only DVDs that I got in 2005 and didn't realize there was a later edition. Ep #15 seems to be in that set, at least according to my notes. Unless they renumbered #16 as #15 and changed all the others up a number to match.
http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/ency...?id=46&page=25
1979-07-14

15.
Cucuruz Doan's Island
ククルス・ドアンの島
kukurusu . doan no shima

Edited out of U.S. release
Old 10-14-14, 06:41 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Yeah, I got the subbed sets before they went out of print (initially, the TV show was only released dubbed and the compilation/revamped movies were the only way to see the subs). And Tomino himself asked them to leave out episode 15.

But ZZ and Turn A, awesome! Now where's my (affordable) release of Unicorn on Blu?
Old 10-17-14, 12:42 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

It was pointed out to me that RightStuf doesn't do blu...
Old 10-17-14, 10:26 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Originally Posted by fujishig
It was pointed out to me that RightStuf doesn't do blu...
Just to clarify this...

SUNRISE will be releasing this themselves for North America. TRSI will only be distributing. Anything like format (DVD and/or Blu-ray), pricing, packaging,...will fall on SUNRISE. TRSI handles distribution (marketing, getting the products out,...).

Consider Gundam is the number one property for SUNRISE, any cheap Gundam BDs are highly unlikely. If they do BDs at all for TV series, it could be for higher pricing.

It's all wait and see...until spring 2015.
Old 10-20-14, 03:31 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

So this may be closer to Honneamise than Bandai America? Ugh. I'll wait and see, though. I still have all the original Anime Village clamshell VHS releases from back when it was mailorder only.
Old 12-19-14, 05:28 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Glad to know about this, the series was never big in the US, but I'm glad to know they're revisting some of the older series and getting back to them, IMO that's great, they deserve to get released again. Hopefully these will do well enough commercially that they'll continue with other series.

Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
Will the original Gundam (1979) series be released in Japanese with English subs? Now that will be a big deal.
There was a release like that from Bandai in the US, but it was only out for a brief time before they went under and is very pricey on the aftermarket.

Originally Posted by fujishig
So this may be closer to Honneamise than Bandai America? Ugh. I'll wait and see, though. I still have all the original Anime Village clamshell VHS releases from back when it was mailorder only.
Good times .

Was the Honneamise BD a hack job? I remember hearing horror stories about the first DVD release.
Old 12-22-14, 03:27 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

By Honneamise, I meant the premium label that Bandai was using for stuff like Super Robot Wars, the Patlabor movies, Wings of Honneamise (which they called Royal Space Force), and others, which basically meant things were very very expensive.

I didn't have a problem with the Wings of Honneamise release, though I haven't watched it in some time. I love the animation but it's so... long.
Old 12-25-14, 12:18 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Originally Posted by fujishig
By Honneamise, I meant the premium label that Bandai was using for stuff like Super Robot Wars, the Patlabor movies, Wings of Honneamise (which they called Royal Space Force), and others, which basically meant things were very very expensive.

I didn't have a problem with the Wings of Honneamise release, though I haven't watched it in some time. I love the animation but it's so... long.
Anime was always a niche market in the US even at its most mainstream, but I imagine now it's smaller than ever.

Originally Posted by fujishig
Yeah, I got the subbed sets before they went out of print (initially, the TV show was only released dubbed and the compilation/revamped movies were the only way to see the subs).
They go for crazy aftermarket prices, they must've not been out for very long. I like the Ocean Group, but I think that particular dub leaves something be desired . Why is so much media-related stuff done up in Vancouver? Tax breaks? Were the films in the trilogy ever dubbed? The DVDs I have are subbed only.

And Tomino himself asked them to leave out episode 15.
Perhaps, but I'd still like to see it .

But ZZ and Turn A, awesome! Now where's my (affordable) release of Unicorn on Blu?
Apart from Wing, Gundam never seems to have gained much traction in the US despite its massive popularity in Japan. I have a friend who's a big Gundam nut, and he's only mostly had to collect DVDs piecemeal and a few bootlegs.

Incidentally, on a tangential Mecha note, what's the deal with US Macross licensing? AnimEgo seems to have put them out at one point and then ADV did briefly, but I understand it's a big legal mess.

Oh, and who has the US right to Votoms ?
Old 12-25-14, 04:59 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138
Anime was always a niche market in the US even at its most mainstream, but I imagine now it's smaller than ever.



They go for crazy aftermarket prices, they must've not been out for very long. I like the Ocean Group, but I think that particular dub leaves something be desired . Why is so much media-related stuff done up in Vancouver? Tax breaks? Were the films in the trilogy ever dubbed? The DVDs I have are subbed only.

I can't find it in my inventory now, but I could swear I got VHS review copies of the Gundam movies dubbed sometime in the late 1990s. If I get a chance to look on my shelves for them, I'll let you know.

But I really want the original Gundam TV series subbed.
Old 12-25-14, 11:53 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Originally Posted by hanshotfirst1138

Apart from Wing, Gundam never seems to have gained much traction in the US despite its massive popularity in Japan. I have a friend who's a big Gundam nut, and he's only mostly had to collect DVDs piecemeal and a few bootlegs.

Incidentally, on a tangential Mecha note, what's the deal with US Macross licensing? AnimEgo seems to have put them out at one point and then ADV did briefly, but I understand it's a big legal mess.

Oh, and who has the US right to Votoms ?
The era where Gundam was semi popular in the US was like a dream come true for me... Gundam model kits and MS in Action toys all over the place, including a lot of stuff released for this market first.

Macross is a mess. Synopsis: The rights to the name are owned by Big West in Japan and abroad, but they teamed with Tatsunoko for the animation. Tatsunoko signed away domestic rights to Harmony Gold which they adapted into Robotech. When the anime boom first started getting a foothold, Macross 2 and Macross Plus were both released here with nothing being said by HG until Big West gave a merchandise license to Yamato/Toycom to sell Macross plus toys here (I remember being excited seeing the ads). HG immediately sent a cease and desist. Japan courts later ruled that Tatsunoko only owned the animation rights to the original Macross series, but seemingly the demand for stuff like 7 and frontier isn't enough for someone to license it here and fight lawsuits. It's not like HG has any other eggs in their basket.

Animeigo licensed from Harmony Gold to dub and restore Macross, and those rights were passed on to ADV (who added a new dub with the original Minmei) and now some other company, but I'm not sure what the demand is for a re-release now. Same with bottoms I'm sure the rights are out there but what's the demand?
Old 12-27-14, 12:56 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

So I assume there's an HD remaster of the 1979 series (Does it have a colloquian fan name like Gundam 1 or something?) in Japan? Have they done HD masters for a lot of the older series there because of their popularity?

Originally Posted by fujishig
The era where Gundam was semi popular in the US was like a dream come true for me... Gundam model kits and MS in Action toys all over the place, including a lot of stuff released for this market first.
A friend of mine is heavily in Gunpla, there's a local Barnes and Noble which still has a surprising amount. It's a very small but devoted cult following in the US. I think Bandai were thrilled when Wing was a hit, and then crushed when nothing caught on after that. The original series in particular apparently tanked, not glossy enough for today's youth, and nothing thereafter seems to have been able to get any traction.

Macross is a mess. Synopsis: The rights to the name are owned by Big West in Japan and abroad, but they teamed with Tatsunoko for the animation. Tatsunoko signed away domestic rights to Harmony Gold which they adapted into Robotech.
There are too many versions of Robotech for me to keep track of anymore either. Incidentally, why is it not up for streaming any damn place? Hulu used to have it. Is it part of the legal wrangling? I obviously know about it, it was one of the first localized anime which was a big deal in the US, even before the DBZ (WHY ARE THE DRAGON BOXES SO EXPENSIVE?!) and Gundam Wing wave.

When the anime boom first started getting a foothold, Macross 2 and Macross Plus were both released here with nothing being said by HG until Big West gave a merchandise license to Yamato/Toycom to sell Macross plus toys here (I remember being excited seeing the ads). HG immediately sent a cease and desist. Japan courts later ruled that Tatsunoko only owned the animation rights to the original Macross series, but seemingly the demand for stuff like 7 and frontier isn't enough for someone to license it here and fight lawsuits. It's not like HG has any other eggs in their basket.
I get it, but it does indeed sound messy. Any of the other Macross series would probably be a nightmare to license then? Not that they would want to anyway, the market f

Animeigo licensed from Harmony Gold to dub and restore Macross, and those rights were passed on to ADV (who added a new dub with the original Minmei) and now some other company, but I'm not sure what the demand is for a re-release now.
Same with bottoms I'm sure the rights are out there but what's the demand?


Kidding . Again, it seems to have had a number of different releases, so figuring out which is which and what order everything goes in is headache inducing. I suppose while we're at it, we should hope for a US release of Legend of the Galactic Heroes .
Old 03-11-15, 10:53 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Turn A Gundam, Part 1 - 625 minutes - $49.99 - 6/30/15
Contains Episodes 1-25.

Special Features: Clean Opening and Closing.

Spoken Languages: Japanese, English subtitles.
Turn A Gundam, Part 2 - 625 minutes - $49.99 - 8/4/15
Contains episodes 26-50.

Special Features: 3-part Interview with Mechanical Designer Syd Mead, Clean Opening and Closing.

Spoken Languages: Japanese, English subtitles.

Last edited by WTK; 08-12-15 at 05:59 PM. Reason: typo
Old 03-18-15, 12:15 AM
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Originally Posted by Ash Ketchum
I can't find it in my inventory now, but I could swear I got VHS review copies of the Gundam movies dubbed sometime in the late 1990s. If I get a chance to look on my shelves for them, I'll let you know. But I really want the original Gundam TV series subbed.
Did Madman release Gundam subbed in Australia? I notice many of their covers are the same as the old Bandai US ones.
Old 07-10-15, 03:31 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

I wish they'd dub ZZ, Victory, After War X, Turn-A, and AGE.
Old 07-10-15, 11:04 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

This was announced back on AX:

RIGHT STUF EXCLUSIVES

Right Stuf, Inc. and Sunrise Inc. are excited to announce the Blu-ray and DVD release of the original Mobile Suit Gundam TV series. This is the first time the original Mobile Suit Gundam series will be released in high definition on Blu-ray in North America. Mobile Suit Gundam is created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino.

The first 21 episodes of Mobile Suit Gundam will be released on Blu-ray and DVD in the fall of 2015, featuring English and Japanese audio with English subtitles and on-screen translations.

Right Stuf and Sunrise also announced plans to release the sequel series Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, and After War Gundam X, along with the Turn A Gundam Movie Collection in the coming months.
Old 07-10-15, 11:41 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

I just watched eps. 1-2 of Gundam 0083 Stardust Memory on an old VHS fan-sub. Why did I never get this series on DVD? It's out of print and pretty expensive on Amazon. I used to have the DVDs of it as review copies when I reviewed the series for Animerica many years ago, but I had to send the screeners back to the magazine. I managed to hold onto one, though, so I have Vol. 3 (eps. 8-10), so when I get up to that point on the fan-subs, I'll switch to the DVD. Great stuff!

Turn-A Gundam looks interesting, like Miyazaki doing Gundam. I believe I have a fan-sub of Vol. 1 of that, so I must have seen that at some point. (You should see my shelf of old Gundam VHS fan-subs, all purchased at comics shows in the 1990s. I can't bear to put them in storage. I want to watch them all again!)
Old 07-11-15, 01:20 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Turn A is interesting, but it's pretty slow and methodical in it's world building, and relies somewhat on at least a passing knowledge of other gundam series to get some of the fan service.
Old 08-12-15, 05:55 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Mobile Suit Gundam: Collection 1 (DVD) - 525 minutes - $59.99 - 11/3/15
Disc Count: 4

Contains episodes 1-21.

Special Features: Clean Opening and Closing, DVD Commercials.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Collection 1 (Blu-ray) - 525 minutes - $74.99 - 11/3/15
Audio: English (LPCM, Stereo), Japanese (LPCM, Mono)
Subtitles: English
Video: 1080p, 4:3, HD Native
Disc Count: 2

Contains episodes 1-21.

Special Features: Clean Opening and Closing, Blu-ray and DVD Commercials.

Spoken Languages: English, Japanese, English subtitles.
Turn A Gundam the Movies Collection - 257 minutes - $49.99 - 11/3/15
Disc Count: 2

This movie collection contains the Turn A Gundam movies "EARTH LIGHT" and "MOON BUTTERFLY".

Spoken Languages: Japanese, English subtitles.
Old 08-13-15, 09:38 AM
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Re: Gundam in the US

The price on the first item is now $20 lower on that site. I'm ordering this.

Thanks!
Old 08-13-15, 12:04 PM
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Re: Gundam in the US

Man, I love original Gundam, but do I need it on Blu? Argh. Any differences from the previous Bandai release? I'm assuming the missing episode is still missing...

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